
"(4) When he wrote the epistle, Timotheus, Sosipater,- Gaius, and
Erastus were with him (chap. 16:21, 23) ; of these, the first three are
expressly mentioned in the Acts as having been with him at Corinth
during the three months' visit (see Acts 20:4) ; and the last, Erastus,
was himself a Corinthian, and had been sent shortly before from Ephesus
(Acts 19:22) with Timotheus on the way to Corinth. (Compare 1 Cor.
16:10, 11.)"—"Life and Epistles of St. Paul," People's Edition, pp.
544, 545.
The object of the epistle is to teach the meaning of salvation through
the gospel of Jesus Christ in all its fullness.
2.
What does Paul declare himself to be? Verse 1, first phrase.
NoTE.—Read the special call given to the apostle by the Lord in
person. Acts 9:1-20; 26:12-19.
"A servant." God calls His children sons, daughters, saints, friends;
but the devoted saint of God finds joy in calling himself "a servant,"
literally, a bond servant, a bought slave, purchased by the blood of
Christ, and bound to Him by Spirit-born love.
3.
What was he called to be? Verse 1, second phrase.
NOTE.—"Called to be an apostle." The word "apostle" means one
who is sent. It is a title that our Lord gave to each of the twelve, and
on the failure of Judas Iscariot, to Matthias, who was chosen and num-
bered with the eleven. But it is a mistake to suppose that apostleship
was confined to the twelve, or that Paul was one of the twelve. The
twelve were sent to Israel. Paul was an apostle—one authoritatively
sent, a messenger—to the Gentiles. Barnabas, Epaphroditus, Timothy,
and Silvanus are called apostles also. The first twelve apostles, bearing
witness that Jesus was the living Christ, must, as a necessary qualifica-
tion, have seen the Lord, and Paul refers to his experience to show that
he was not behind the other apostles in this respect. (1 Cor. 9:1; 15:8.)
But that this is not necessary to apostleship is shown (1) in the calling
of Barnabas and others, and (2) in the fact that the gift of apostleship
is to be in the church to the end. "The Greek," says Vincent, "indicates
that the writer was actually in the apostolate—a called apostle."
4.
Unto what was he separated? Verse 1.
NoTa.—"Separated unto." "Separated unto" also implies separated
from, a distinct marking off, a cleavage from the mass. So Paul and
Barnabas were separated unto God's work (Acts 13 :2), and Paul was
set apart for his work from his birth (Gal. 1:15, 16). So God calls every
one to some work, and separates him to that in His own good time if he
is but submitted to His will.
5.
How and when had the gospel been promisli Verse 2.
6.
Concerning whom is the gospel? Verse 3, first part.
7.
Of what seed was Christ born? Verse 3, last part.
NOTE.—"Of the seed of David." Christ was, therefore, of the royal
line through His mother. But He was more than this; He was the same
flesh as the seed of David, in and through which for generations had
flowed the blood of sinful humanity—Solomon, and Rehoboam, and Ahaz,
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